MMOs and game design

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happy

I saw in a news story this week that researchers think playing casual games, such as Bejewelled, can reduce symptoms of depression. Admittedly the research was underwritten by Popcap (makers of Bejewelled) but at the same time, these are the sorts of games I could imagine playing if I were to wake up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep.

One of the nice things about Bejewelled is that it’s very laid back and doesn’t put much time pressure on the player, unlike Plants v Zombies.

What games do you play if you’re feeling down that are guaranteed to either distract you or cheer you up? And what’s the appeal?